Customer Reviews

Erroll Garner - In Performance [VHS]

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I heard that they were releasing a DVD of Erroll Garner in performance--a full 70 minutes from a 1964 BBC special--I just about hit the ceiling. By 1964, Garner was quite out of fashion, what with the avant-garde ramblings of Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman and the likes taking center stage, but he had lost very little of his power. Now, years later, all those experimental trends fall away in the presence of Garner's genius. He's joined that uppermost level of jazz pianists--along with Art Tatum, Bud Powell, Monk, Bill Evans, and a tiny handful of others who have become genres of one...singular geniuses. Garner, like Monk, like Tatum, used all of the keyboard, making 88 keys sound like 188. He was a one-man orchestra. But even more astonishing than his technique was his fresh interpretation of standards, almost like intense studies of the compositions. He'd take a tune like "Autumn Leaves" or "I Cover the Waterfront", slow them down, expose and explore every nuance of the melody, make it new. His playing was often baroque, often complex, but always beautiful, and he never even learned to read music. This performance has about 17 tunes, though strangely, he does not play "Misty", his extraordinary signature tune that he played night after night. However, the guys behind the DVD had their thinking caps on, and added an audio performance of it. Now you're out of excuses.

Where do I begin..? My GOD..from the minute He started to play...tears came to my eyes..how could anybody be so~~ good..and sensitive..? leave it to British to preserve our national treasures...Eroll Garner plays piano in this DVD(live in BBC in England) with his working group..his famous introductions that leaves no clue as to what's coming up...including his own band members..is pure Gold..and pure JAZZ...how smooth he enters the tune..and how smooth everybody else follows him..is behind comprihension for commen men...I am a Jazz musician..and anytime I see this DVD I am very happy but also in the same time sick to my stomach that there are or there were human beings who were so~~ good..playing their instruments..do'nt think twice just get the DVD..before..is no longer available..show them to your children..show them to the teens that they think they know who the cool musicians are..show them to who ever will watch...show them an American ican at his best....need I say more...?

Having heard most of Garner's piano works - including "Solo Time" and "Concert by the Sea" - I agree with mr. Nevagich on the musical quality of this DVD.
It is a BBC production showing the Erroll Garner trio entertaining a London audience, circa 1964.
Being a black-and-white recording in mono, sound and picture quality still has got a reasonable level.
This is the first time I see Garner live, and was VERY impressed musically, technically and on a personal level.
Errol Garner had this inexplicable charisma, which is adding to his performance - something I am sure people will appreciate when watching him.
In his hands just about any piano-technical difficulty LOOKS easy. A sign of class, I would say.
Kelly Martin on drums and Eddy Calhoun on bass are clever musicians backing him up in an intelligent way. It is obvious that they all are having a good time. This includes the audience who is working like "a fourth member of the group", as someone (maybe Garner himself) once said.
As usual nothing is decided, Garner just plays whatever he feels, Martin and Calhoun follow their leader.
That is what jazz is all about: playing what you feel.
Garner was mentally and technically able of carrying this out into practice.
The man for whom the piano was invented, someone said.
The best piano player there ever was, says I.

Kurt Starlit
Copenhagen
February 21, 2003

This is simply the most amazing DVD of a jazz concert. Erroll Garner is perhaps the most musical, talented, natural and gifted piano player I have ever heard. I have always been a fan and if you are a fan or not get this DVD, you won;t regret it. One thing, Amazon have it coded region 1 but it played on my region 2 player. I think its open coded(Amazon please note) so it should work everywhere.

My favorite moment of this broadcast is a moment in the throws of one of Erroll Garner's legendary intro/improvisational tangents and Eddie Calhoun is just looking over at him totally bewildered, half embaressed, trying to figure out what's going on but thoroughly enjoying it... I guess that's the genius of Erroll Garner... Its hard not to on one hand take infinite pleasure in his playing, and on the other hand be totally bewildered... Aside from being an original, even within his own sound and style, he was virtually impredictable - - yet everything he did not only would work out great in the long run - - but would rewrite the book on how the piano is played. Another couple of observations - - He sits on a phone book as he plays, rarely watches his hands, and plays with such command and power that the baby grand piano actually looks like a little toy in his hands (*am I the only person who's ever observed this ?) You really feel that the piano is in total submission to him. - - Erroll Garner was indeed an imaginative genius and master entertainer... you can hear it on his albums, and now see it on this incredibly tasty looking and sounding crisp black and white TV broadcast. I love when the host points out that even that people who don't really like Jazz dig him - - and for those who do, every time he sits down at the piano he reinvents the way its played.

No doubt, there will never be another Eroll Garner... and I don't know whether to say its a darn shame... or to simply say, Thank God there simple WAS an Erroll Garner. Its true... the piano *was* invented for him... and if you're not yet convinced, this video will do nothing to dispel the myth... only make it larger !

This DVD resurrects Erroll Garner in as good a picture and sound quality as one could ever hope to get (-frankly alot better than even some recent jazz recordings, despite this being black and white): full credit to the BBC and whoever else responsible including the original filming crew (great angles) and the DVD publishing company who gave us this valued historic viewing. It is sheer delight to see E.Garner and hear him so clearly; the songs are very enjoyable and audio quality is very good indeed. I heartily reccommend this to any jazz piano enthusiast. Please, please give us more Garner (or other old greats like Sarah Vaughan) in this DVD quality! Worth every dollar of its price tag.

CELIA CRUZ mentions Erroll Garner in many of her mambo songs. And I know why. Mr. Mambo King at heart: Mr. Garner was the true definement of "Mr. Pianoman". There is no mistaking about that. What a marvelous arrangement of Mr. Garner's left hand was. His left hand appears (to many other pianists) as if its his "RIGHT HAND". Mr. Garner appears to have two right hands!)

My mentor's (Mr. Garner's) recording is presented with class, pride, and an endearment to his music and piano, as witnessed on this DVD, which is to me a most treasurable (and invaluable) piece of item I AM SO PROUD TO OWN. Thanks to the executors for the fond memories captured and recorded on DVD!! Many thanks to them. **AB**

I just didn't know how good a piano player Erroll Garner was. I bought this DVD because I've always liked "Misty" and because of good reviews, but I was not prepared for his total virtuosity. I am a piano player, but after watching Erroll play, I feel completely inept. That these recordings weren't lost or degraded is a testament to the BBC. The recording is about as good as one could expect for 1964. They used multiple cameras - got great shots of his hands - and the audio isn't all that bad considering that it's 40 years old. Erroll has about as much fun playing an instrument as anyone I've ever seen. He plays with a cleverness and dexterity that I've never seen before - he doesn't just try to jam in as many notes as possible, but understands that sometimes less is more. He also plays softly better than any piano player I've ever seen or heard - his touch is remarkable. I've just never seen anything like it. If you enjoy the standards and want to see artistry that you'll never forget, BUY THIS DVD!!! You won't be sorry.

I watch with extreme sadness as more Erroll Garner CD's disappear from sale on amazon.com and other CD retailers. Columbia Records (Sony) does not even seem too interested in promoted the great music he did for the label back in the 1950s.

I get a bad feeling that this DVD wont be around for too much longer.

Get it before its gone. I am 20 years old and Erroll Garner is my favourite Jazz artist. It has made me so happy to be able to see him perform live...... on TV at least. It might be in black and white but its very good sound quality. And its good quality black and white. I wish I was not born in the wrong era and could have seen him live and maybe even meet the great man.

Erroll Garner is the greatest Jazz Piano player who ever lived. This DVD will bring a tear to your eye.

Play it for ever Erroll.......... my dear friend

I love this DVD. I only have to watch him get started, and I feel way way up. Garner is the J.S. Bach of the jazz piano, endlessly inventive. If you will try Bach's keyboard pieces, you'll see what I mean.